Naruto: Akkippuden
by Fan4LIFE95
Summary: The Fourth Ninja War ends and peace is restored to the village. The Akatsuki and Madara no longer exists as a threat. Sasuke, however, still has not returned to Konoha. Instead he seeks to restore his clan, at any cost. As the new genin face their lives as ninja, our hero and his comrades must protect them, as it is their turn to pass on the Will of Fire.
1. Chapter 1: The Next Generation

Hi everyone! I'm new to this site and this is really my first time putting my work out there. It's a Naruto fan fiction that I've been working on for years and I believe I finally got the story strait. Please, rate, review, and comment!

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. All Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Other characters mentioned in this story are mine. A list of all my own character will be posted at the end of each chapter they appear in first.

Enjoy!

**xXxXxXx**

Chapter 1: The Next Generation!

"Can't catch me! Ahahahaa!"

"Big brother, wait!"

The sound of footsteps echoed through one of the many forests that made up Konoha – the village hidden in the leaves. The twin siblings raced each other to a big oak tree; a marker for one of their personal training areas carved high into the trunk.

The youngest jumped from the ground to a high branch on the tree with ease.

"Hey!" Called the older one, "No fair, we agreed to never use chakra to win!"

"I'm not using chakra," he said bluntly.

"Oh yeah? Byakugan!" The oldest activated his ocular jutsu and peered at his brother's feet. "You lair! There's chakra around your feet for sure!"

"Well if you're so upset about it, then why don't you come up here and push me off?"

The oldest twin frowned upon his brother's words and his doujutsu deactivated. "Hiroshi…you know my chakra control sucks."

"Who said you have to use chakra? You're a taijutsu genius Hiroki!" Hiroshi gave his older brother a shy smile and motioned for him to come up. "I know you can do it big brother c'mon."

"Oh alright alright already," Hiroki said with a smile. "And how many times do I have to tell you, stop calling me big brother!" With that, Hiroki summoned up his strength and ran up the trunk of the tree. Just before he felt that the running wasn't going to do enough, he jumped off the tree and to the trunk of another close by. He reached the top with speed by jumping between the two trees, and landed next to Hiroshi.

"See, you did it."

"Y-yeah…I sure…did…" Hiroki said between breaths. The two broke into a slow laughter that soon quickened. Before long they laughed so hard that they almost fell off the tree.

"Hiroki," Hiroshi said as their laughing subdued, "We promised, remember?"

"Yes, we promised," Hiroki said. "Now, let's get to the academy, we'll be late!"

"You two already late," a voice from the bushes called. The figure emerged and waved at the two.

"Uncle Shikamaru!" They both said with a smile.

"You troublesome brats are late. They had to send me to come get you," the lazy jounin sighed. "Now don't make this a drag."

Hiroki smirked. "You're going to have to catch us first!" He jumped off through the trees away from the academy. Hiroshi, close behind him, merely shook his head at his brother's antics.

"I don't know why I even follow your lead," Hiroshi sighed.

"_Just like him, as always," _Shikamaru thought as he chased after the troublemakers.

**xXxXxXx**

"I'm sorry Shikamaru," Udon shook his head at the twins, who presently sat on the floor, bound together by a rope. "I expected this from Hiroki, but from you too Hiroshi? Maybe they don't deserve to graduate after all."

"Hey four-eyes you can't do that we're already Leaf ninja!"

"Oh yeah? Why don't you see me try?!" Udon's and Hiroki's faces were inches away from each other, both gritting their teeth in anger.

"Baka…" Hiroshi grumbled.

"I-it's okay Udon. You don't have to get that serious. I'll be seeing their father today anyway," Shikamaru threw the twins and Udon a nervous smile before waving to the class. "Have fun guys!" With that, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Udon untied the twins as he spoke to the class, "Now then, as you all know, today is the day you will be separated into teams. Your academy days are over. Life as a shinobi of the Leaf will be far more than you can dream to expect. While your time here has been challenging for both you and I," he shot Hiroki a glance, "It has also been a pleasure. And I can honestly say I'm proud of everyone this year. So, let us start."

The children had their eyes on Udon as he picked up a clipboard from his desk. "Team 5: Hiroki Hyūga, Hiroshi Hyūga, and Aiko Inuzuka."

Aiko's dog Madoka lay quietly on the floor as the young female Inuzuka smirked at the oldest Hyūga twin. He stuck his tongue out at her in response. They held a competitive rivalry between themselves since their first days at the academy.

"Team 8: Inoko Yamanaka, Shikamari Nara, and Chojaru Akamichi."

All three from the Ino-Shika-Cho trio were at no surprise when they heard their names called together. Shikamari merely slipped back into the light slumber he was in before Udon started calling the first cell.

"Team 9: Akane Haruno, Amaya Haruno, and Takumi Yamanaka."

"Takumi?" Amaya whispered to her red headed brother. "Why him, he's so quiet…" Akane smiled at his pouting younger sister and ruffled her pale-pink hair. Like the Yamanaka siblings, they weren't twins. They had simply been admitted into the academy in the same year; Akane had a year on his sister and Inoko a year on her brother.

"And lastly, Team 12: Kazue Hyūga, Kazuo Hyūga, and Hiari Aburame."

The fraternal Hyūga twins, cousins of Hiroki and Hiroshi, smirked slightly at their teammate, who paid them no mind. Inoko, who was sitting next to him, shivered in her place as she saw tiny fire ants crawl across the bug master's face.

Udon placed the clipboard back on his desk and faced the class again. "You can find the meeting place on this clipboard for where you will meet your sensei. Be there in about fifteen minutes. Good luck all!" With that, he left the room to go file some reports.

**xXxXxXx**

_Meanwhile…_

"Why place them on the same team Hokage-sama?" Shikamaru asked as he stood in front of the sixth Hokage. "Actually, aren't both pairs of twins on the same team too?"

"Yes they are, but Hiroki's and Hiroshi's skills balance each others. And Aiko is just as excellent as her father when it comes to tracking. Same with their cousins. Besides…Hiroki and Hiroshi share something…special and beneficial to them. They can't afford to be separated." The Hokage fiddled with his hat. "As for _them_…the seal should keep it from ever happening, at least anytime soon. They're still too young to know. However, I trust you to them Shikamaru. They will be great in your hands."

Shikamaru nodded silently and watched the Hokage fiddle more with his hat. "It's _him_ isn't it…that's on your mind."

"Of course…the graduation of these genin marks the upcoming chunin selection exams. And it's being held here this time around. You…remember last time, don't you? There's a possibility he's fully recovered."

"I know. I remember," Shikamaru trailed off. "The ANBU and all of the proctors will protect everyone with their life though, even I swear to –"

"But he's strong!" The Hokage interrupted the lazy jounin with a slam on his desk.

"I get it!" Shikamaru shot back sternly. "But we are strong too and we know him and his weaknesses. Hokage-sama there is only so much we can do. I know… we couldn't save Tsunade or any of the other women the first time, including my wife, but we should be grateful that the fifth gave her life to halt him from killing anyone else. She's why my wife is still alive and I'm beyond grateful for that. For that I will protect my family and Konoha from him I swear." Shikamaru looked down in anger as he tried to collect himself.

"Thank you, Shikamaru. You are dismissed…"

He looked up and after a pause he nodded at the Hokage's thanks.

"One more thing," the Hokage said as Shikamaru reached the door, "Stop calling me Hokage-sama, you know I hate that. We're still peers!" He gave Shikamaru a toothy grin.

Shikamaru smiled back, "Alright Naru-dork, take care." He managed to close the door behind him before the inkwell Naruto threw hit him.

**xXxXxXx**

Well, that's the first chapter. Again, please rate, review and comment!

Here's a promised list of my characters in order of appearance (and name meanings!):

Hiroki Hyūga: Male, 12, "_abundant joy/ strength"_

Hiroshi Hyūga: Male, 12, "_generous, tolerant, prosperous"_

Aiko Inuzuka: Female, 12, "_love child"_

Madoka: Male, Aiko's dog, "_Circle, circle flower"_

Inoko Yamanaka: Female, 13, "_Ino = pig"_

Shikamari Nara: Male, 13, "_Shika = deer"_

Chojaru Akamichi: Female, 12, "_Cho = butterfly"_

Akane Haruno: Male, 13, "_brilliant red"_

Amaya Haruno: Female, 12, "_night rain"_

Takumi Yamanaka: Male, 12, "_adroit, artisan, skilful"_

Kazue Hyūga: Female, 12, "_branch, first blessing, harmonious"_

Kazuo Hyūga: Male, 12, "_harmonious man, first male_"

Hiari Aburame: Male, 12, "_fire ant"_

Each person's name has a meaning to either their look, personality, or the personality of their parents.


	2. Chapter 2: The Missing Three

Oi! It's me again. I'm not quite sure if I'm going to upload randomly or set a dead line. Also, feel free to ask questions for I shall answer them in the following chapter!

Q: Who is Naruto paired up with in this story?

A: Very good question. Your answer will come with this chapter dear viewer.

Chapter 2: The Missing Three!

Team 5 was waiting impatiently in one of the training fields in the village. It was a sunny day and the world seemed more alive than usual. Aiko watched her dog companion chase squirrels in and out of the forest that surrounded them, while Hiroshi sat quietly next to her on the grass.

Hiroki was trying to pick a fight.

"Stupid dog-lover, I can beat you in anything, any day, at any time!"

"Wanna bet, little shrimp? I'll take you on!"

"Woof woof!" Madoka ran over to the commotion, taking his stand against the young Hyūga.

"Guys guys come now, were all teammates…" Hiroshi tried to separate his twin from the hot-headed kunoichi. His soft voice and shy attitude went unnoticed as the two continued to bicker.

"Oi, what's with all the noise?" A slightly annoyed female voice called from the distance.

"I-is that our sensei?" Aiko asked, a bit worried. Madoka whimpered and lowered his head.

"Oh dear…," said Hiroshi.

"Nori Hatake, is our sensei!" Hiroki said in disbelief.

"Yeah, I am," Nori, a woman with light purple hair, approached them. She observed the genin who stood before her. "Why the fear, little ones? Don't you miss me?"

The three genin gulped loudly as their sensei chuckled. Nori was a teacher at the academy until she was fired for being too strict to the children. She claims she had quit, but when Hiroki had tried to tell her otherwise a few months ago, she chased him around the village for an hour without rest.

"L-l-long time no see, Nori-sensei," Hiroshi stuttered.

She ruffled the little Hyūga's hair. "It's been awhile hasn't it, boy have you all grown up!" Her mood switched from annoyance to happiness in a second, making the genin sigh in relief. Nori took out a dog treat and tossed it to Madoka, who caught it in his mouth. "How is everyone at home Aiko?"

"Tou-san's fine. Akamaru caught the flu, so he's asking Sakura-sensei to look at him when she comes home. Shino-sensei is with the ANBU on a mission," Aiko said sadly.

She lived with the three in one big apartment, along with Akane and Amaya. Sakura's children were without a father, they didn't know where he was. Kiba's mother is a different story. On a mission twelve years ago to the village hidden in the Mist, he had a one-night stand. Aiko's mother delivered her to Konoha when she was five.

"I hope Akamaru gets better. How about Hokage-sama and Lady Hinata?" Nori asked the twins.

"Hey, he doesn't like it when you call him Hokage-sama," Hiroki grumbled.

"Tou-san has a lot of work to do. He's so stressed lately that he won't leave his office some nights," Hiroshi said. "And Kaa-san has been stressed out about running the Hyūga estate."

Nori looked at the blonde twins and worried. "That's sad to hear, but no worries, everything will work out!" She gave the twins a wide smile before moving on. "You guys have a lot of work of your own anyway, but before we start with that, let's do our mandatory introductions shall we?" She sat cross-legged on the grass and the genin followed her lead. "Ladies first," she said while looking at Aiko. "Likes, dislikes, dreams, hobbies, all that good stuff."

"I think you should go first sensei," Aiko said. The others nodded in agreement.

"Very well," Nori said with a sigh. "I like good food. There are many, many things I dislike. My hobbies aren't your business, and my dreams are pretty much a secret as well," she finished with a smile.

"Alright," Aiko said. "I like being with my dog, Madoka. I dislike weak people, and soft foods. My dream, is to earn a lot of money as a ninja, so that my family could keep happy!"

"Hiroshi you're next."

"R-right, well, I like the rain, and I like reading about my clan's history. I don't really dislike many things, except people who threaten my family, and people who expect a lot out of my brother and I just because of our lineage. As a hobby I like helping Tou-san with paperwork. And my dream is to one day surpass my cousins," Hiroshi looked down slightly. Hiroki gave him a worried look before starting.

"I guess that leaves me. Well, I like training, and puling pranks on people. I hate my stuck-up cousins, and my dreams…," he trailed off. "My dream is to find the Missing Three of the Leaf."

Hiroshi's and Nori's eyes widened, while Aiko looked at him, confused. "The Missing Three?! How do you know of such things, I demand answers!" Nori grabbed the loudmouth Hyūga by the collar.

"I heard Tou-san talking about it with Kaa-san. I thought I heard something about having a-"

"Quiet!" Nori let go of Hiroki. "No more talk about that. That's none of you business and you're too young to have such dreams."

"But," Hiroshi started.

"Enough!" The genin stared at their enraged sensei, who slowly began to calm down with the silence. "That's all for introductions. Meet here tomorrow morning at exactly ten o'clock," she said as she stood. "And I advise you to skip breakfast. With that she turned and left the genin in the field.

**xXxXxXx**

Hinata stood behind Naruto and watched him make some calculations. The blonde kage sighed every now and then and scribbled notes on a piece of paper.

"Hinata, I don't know, we might not have enough funds. We might have to ask Suna to do it again this year. Or maybe someone else but, at this rate we might not be able to pull it off," Naruto chewed on the eraser of his pencil; a bad habit he had developed over the course of the last three months.

"Naruto-kun, I'm sure with the graduation of these new genin we'll be able to have enough to host the chunin exams, and on time too," The dark haired kunoichi placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.

BANG!

Both of them raised their heads when they heard the door to the Hokage's office slam open.

"Hokage-sama, permission to enter!" Nori's loud voice rang.

"Permission granted…," Naruto said with a sweat drop and a sigh. "What is it Nori?" He didn't even bother telling her to stop being so formal when addressing him. Instead, he returned to his papers as he listened.

Nori slammed her open palm on his desk. "How could you talk about the Missing Three so freely in front of your children? Do you know how careless that is?"

"What?!" Naruto said in surprise. Hinata's eyes widened.

"How much d-did they hear?" Hinata asked.

"Gratefully, not enough to understand what really happened," Nori said more calmly as she looked at Hinata. "But the oldest heard enough to want to search for them someday. He even heard about Ume," she said as she looked back at Naruto, lowering her voice in the last sentence.

Naruto stared blankly at her without saying a word. He grinded his teeth together subconsciously. Behind him, Hinata crossed her arms over her stomach. _"Ume…"_

"You're right, we should have been more careful…," Naruto said quietly.

Nori straitened and placed her hands on her hips. "Apologies for yelling Naruto, but this is serious. If more and more kids their age know about the Missing Three then it can cause a lot of problems, not only for the poor twins, but for the others as well, especially the ones with the seal," she shook her head. "What do we do?"

"Make sure they know well to never talk of it again, did Aiko find out?"

"She seemed confused when he mentioned it."

"Good, make sure she doesn't know or take that information home. Warn Kiba and Sakura soon too, and make sure they tell Shino."

"Naruto," Hinata said.

"What?" Naruto spoke with a slight annoyance in his voice and looked over his shoulder.

"What happens if the Missing Three return?"

Naruto sighed and laid his head on his desk. "I don't know Hinata. I don't know…"

**EDIT:**

Apologies, I believe some new characters hhave been mentioned without the proper introduction!

Nori Hatake: Female, 22, _"ceremony, regalia, code, precedent, model, rule, standard, law, rule"_

Ume: Female, 16, _"Plum"_

That's all!


	3. Chapter 3: Coming of Age

Hi there readers! I hope your enjoying the story so far, even though it's short. But I promise there will be more to come. Again, I can't guarantee a set frequency of chapter updating, but with more fans and reviews I should be able to set one. Now, question time!

Q: Who are the missing three?

A: You will find out in time dear reader, promised.

**xXxXxXx**

Chapter 3: Coming of Age…!

Hiroshi and Hiroki walked side by side with Aiko and Madoka behind them. Ahead of them was Team 8, who was sitting with their sensei Konohamaru.

"Hey!" Hiroki waved. "Uncle Konohamaru!" The Sarutobi gave the blonde Hyūga a warm smile. "Wanna come with us? We're going to the barbeque house to celebr-"

"BARBEQUE!" Chojaru cheered. Faster than anyone would have guessed, she jumped up and ran in the direction of the barbeque house. They chuckled in disbelief.

"Count me out guys; I have paper work to submit. Enjoy yourselves!" With that, Konohamaru took his leave. Inoko and Shikamari joined Team 5. Along the way they gathered Akane, Amaya, and Takumi as well. When they reached the barbeque house and took their seats, Chojaru announced that the celebration was on her.

Midway through their meal, Kazue and Kazuo approached their table.

"It's such a surprise that you two even made it out of the academy, especially you Hiroki," Kazue scoffed.

"Our precious heir and you can barely use ninjutsu, what a disappointment," her twin brother added.

"He's not of age yet," everyone looked at Hiroshi in surprise as the shy blonde stood up for his brother. "And he hasn't earned the title. Don't you hold that responsibility against him yet."

"But he's still the first born, dear Hiroshi. Therefore he holds the title unofficially."

"It doesn't matter, he's not of age!" The younger blonde stood abruptly and slammed his fist on the table, causing everyone to jump in their seats. All except the Hyūga pairs were confused about the exchange.

"Like hell, he has to grow up sometime."

"Shut up or I'll-" Hiroshi's words were cut short as he felt a firm hand squeeze around his neck. Kazuo had appeared from across the room in a flash and was holding Hiroshi against the wall.

"Or you'll what?" Kazuo activated his doujutsu and shortly after, Hiroshi activated his. Meanwhile, Hiroki sat with his head down, eyes widened in the realization of his unofficial responsibility.

A cold metal pressed against Kazuo's neck. He shifted his angry gaze from his cousin to Akane, who was standing behind him, kunai in hand. "Now now," Akane said stoically, "We don't want to cause trouble here do we? Think about the consequences you'll face. Your reputation, the name of your clan, your father, and not to mention Hokage-sama…what do you think would happen to you if he found out you threatened his precious son?" The red-head glared at the Hyūga. "You'll be sent on D-Ranked missions for the rest of your life."

Kazuo contemplated this for a few seconds before he deactivated his Byakugan. He turned around and pushed Akane's extended arm out of the way. "No matter," he smirked. "The chunin exams are close no? There I'll show you what you can look forward to at our coming of age. Then, you shall see your true place here."

"And trust us, we will be much stronger," Kazue added as they walked away from the table and out of the barbeque house.

Akane looked at the blondes as they showed mixed emotions of anger, fear, and doubt. Everyone else was too afraid to break the silence. _"Just what is it with that clan of theirs?"_ Akane thought to himself.

**xXxXxXx**

"I'm not worth it Hiroshi! I hate it, I didn't choose this responsibility!" The twins were on their way home after they finished at the barbeque house. The normally excitable blonde walked with his arms crossed over his chest in depression. "I didn't choose this responsibility," he repeated quietly. "You're much more capable to lead our clan, why couldn't Kaa-san just chose you?"

"Don't say that big brother…my taijutsu is non-existent compared to you. Not just that, but I'm terrible with people…I'm just as shy as Kaa-san. The only person I can talk to without stuttering is you."

"I can't believe this…," Hiroshi said. He looked at the dirt road under his feet and recalled a day from when he was 8.

**Flashback:**

"Hy-aa!"

Young Kazuo and Kazue were sparing with Hiroki and Hiroshi as Hinata, Neji, Hanabi, and Katsuro observed. Katsuro, Hanabi and Konohamaru's child, was four at the time.

"Again," Neji said coldly as the four tried to catch their breath. Kazuo and Kazue had won this round, leaving the blondes lying on their backs. They slowly rose and got into their gentle fist stance.

Hiroki charged first with his open palm, aiming for Kazuo's chest. He dodged to his left, and sent his own open palm to Hiroki's stomach. The blonde acted quickly and jumped back slightly, but Kazuo gave him no time to rest as he crouched and swept his leg underneath Hiroki. The swipe-kick made him stumble, and next thing he knew, he was on his back again, breathless. Kazuo had landed an open palm to Hiroki's chest.

As Hinata rushed to tend to her twice-defeated son, Kazuo looked at his father. Neji stared back with a look of disappointment. "Your form is still not strong enough, you need to try harder." With that, the young brunette Hyūga bowed his head in sorrow.

"Yes Tou-san…"

"Neji, l-let them rest, please. They're tired," Hinata pleaded to her cousin.

"How do you expect any of them to pass the coming of age? Our best bet now is Katsuro!" Neji said, slightly annoyed. When no response came from the quite heir he turned abruptly on his heels and went inside the estate.

"Kaa-san…what's the coming of age?" Katsuro tugged on Hanabi's sleeve. She looked down at her son and responded.

"When Naruto became the Hokage, one of his first orders of business was to change the ways of the Hyūga," She started quietly. "Before him, the clan was separated into a Main branch and a Cadet branch. Your uncle Neji was a member of the Cadet branch, and Hinata our heir. Every Cadet branch member had a seal placed on them that gave the Main branch complete control over them…," She paused for a few seconds, remembering the stories her father used to tell her. "Hokage-sama saw this as unfair, but he couldn't replace years of history in such a short time. So he gathered with the elder council and the highest members of the clan and arranged a more fair way to chose the clan leader; the coming of age battle."

"Battle?" Katsuro said surprisingly.

"Yes, battle. All Hyūga children born within a certain time frame must qualify for a position in the coming of age when he or she is at least 17 years old, or of chunin rank, whichever comes first. Then, in a competition similar to the chunin exams, they will compete until one person's skill in combat, intelligence, and strength outweighs everyone else. That person will be the one to take the title as heir to the clan leader title, with everyone else in order from strongest to weakest in line behind the winner. Everyone must compete, they have no choice. The only choice the participants have is the one who wins. If he chooses to hand his title to the next in line, he can, but for a large price."

"What is it, Kaa-san?"

Hanabi didn't respond for a few minutes as she looked at the other Hyūga children. "They…have to sacrifice their doujutsu."

Katsuro's eyes widened. "But, but why?!"

Hanabi sighed, "You see, my son, when there is a strong Hyūga that most likely means that their Byakugan is very powerful. The Byakugan is a treasured trait that belongs to the Hyūga clan alone. The secrecy of its power belongs only to the Hyūga, and at one point, even the Cadet branch knew less than the Main branch. The seal on their forehead was not only a sign of servitude, but it also was a sign of sacrifice. When a Cadet branch member was killed the seal locked away the secrets of the Byakugan. Now that we're equals," Hanabi pulled up her sleeve, "We all carry a seal. This, however, doesn't grant any level of control to anyone. You will get yours when you become a shinobi, as they will get theirs soon." Both of them looked back at the two pairs of twins. "The point is, when there is a victor, the power of his or her Byakugan must be sealed away forever, without the death of them. That is the price they pay for not committing their strength to the well being of this clan."

"How…cruel…," Katsuro said quietly.

"It's the best the Hokage can work out at this moment…"

**End Flashback**

Hiroki rolled up his sleeve and traced the seal on his forearm sadly. Hiroshi stared at his brother. They had stopped outside of the Hokage's mansion.

"Hey!"

Naruto called down to his sons with a wide smile. He was out of his office and standing on the balcony getting some fresh air for once. Hinata's face popped out from behind him. "Welcome home!"

Hiroki straightened out his sleeve quickly and smiled at his father. "Tou-san!" He screamed loudly.

Naruto laughed. "Come on up you too, we have a lot to talk about."

**xXxXxXx**

And that's the end of chapter three! Please, continue to review and rate. I NEED to know if people are starting to like this story. Tell your friends maybe? Suggest me? I'll really appreciate it!

Another character of mine was introduced!

Katsuro Hyūga: Male, 8, "_victorious son"_


	4. Chapter 4: Mistake

No questions today folks just a request to update soon.

So, here we are! Sorry for the two week time skip, but I really didn't feel like explaining a bunch of D-ranked missions. I hope y'all understand. Enjoy!

**xXxXxXx**

Chapter 4: Mistake!

_Two weeks later…_

Amaya was the first genin in the house to wake up. She lied in her bed and stared at the ceiling for a while, reflecting on the last few weeks. As genin, she understood that they shouldn't get any missions higher than D-rank for some time, but she also knew that Konoha was short on funds for this year's chunin exams. So why not send them on some C-ranked missions? Teams 8 and 12 already had one each; she didn't know why they were missing out. Furthermore, she could feel that her brother and Aiko were becoming annoyed as well.

After deciding that today was they day she'll make a change, she jumped out of bed and stretched. "Oi! Aiko, wake up," she said loudly. The dog-lover, who she shared a room with, continued to snore. "Suit yourself," Amaya said with an evil smile as she poured cold water onto Aiko's face.

"Gah! I'm up! I'm up!" Aiko sat up abruptly and looked at the clock. "I'm late! I'm late!" She got out of bed and zoomed past Amaya, who only shook her head before getting dressed and heading downstairs.

Akane was already at the table waiting patiently with Shino for breakfast. Kiba was the first to greet her. "Morning Amaya!" he said cheerfully, "Where's Aiko? She'll be late." His question was answered with a loud bang and angered swearing from upstairs. Kiba laughed at his daughter, "Aiko will be Aiko."

The pale-pink haired girl looked around the kitchen and frowned. "Where's Kaa-san?" she asked Akane.

"Sakura said she'd be working late at the hospital lately," Shino said bluntly as he sipped his tea. Akane looked sadly at the plate of food that Kiba just gave him.

"_It's so hard when she's so busy all the time…,"_ Akane thought. Amaya saw the hurt on the red-head's face and stated excitedly:

"I'm tired of all these D-ranked missions big brother. Let's hurry and eat breakfast so we can go demand a C-rank mission!" With that, she began shoveling spoonfuls of eggs into her mouth. Aiko had just sat at the table when Amaya spoke.

"Agreed!" The Inuzuka took after her sister-friend and ate frantically. Akane stayed quiet, but gave the two girls a small, approving smile before promptly eating his breakfast. Kiba gave Shino a look that said _"Some things just won't change."_

**xXxXxXx**

"Hokage-sama! Team 5 and Team 9 would like to formally request C-ranked missions!"

Nori spoke for both teams present in Naruto's office. Team 9's sensei; Kaede, made no protest for or against her. Naruto looked over the genin with a weak smile. The stress still consumed him, and his normal cheerful self acted like a ghost in his life. When he saw the determination in his older son's eyes, his smile widened.

"Fine," Naruto gave in. "Here's our most recent C-rank mission. It's the least dangerous in the pile, but regardless I want both teams to go." He tossed Nori the scroll with the mission's details on it.

"Thank you Tou-san, oh so much!" Hiroki and Hiroshi chimed as they walked out of the Hokage's office. The others followed them.

"_Be safe, you two…"_

**xXxXxXx**

Both teams had packed for the C-rank mission and were meeting by the gates of Konoha.

"Woo-hoo! Alright let's go do this…uh…what are we doing again?" Hiroki blushed and received a punch to the back of his head.

"Idiot!" Aiko screamed.

"We've got to deliver a special load of supplies from the Land of Rivers to the Land of Tea. But before we leave we need to set up a formation," Kaede said calmly. "Aiko, you'll take the lead with Nori. Use your nose to warn us of any oncoming enemies. Amaya, Akane, Takumi and Hiroki will stay in the middle of the pact. Hiroshi, you'll be taking the rear with me. Your Byakugan skill should keep us covered. Everyone got it?" Everyone nodded in response. "Good, then let's move out."

The eight man cell left the village and began moving in formation. It wasn't long before Hiroki grew tired of the walking.

"I thought this was supposed to be a C-ranked mission, you know like an escort or something," Hiroki sighed. "Not delivering lame old supplies from one boring land to another, we're not even going anywhere exciting!" Everyone became slightly annoyed by the loudmouth's complaining.

"Actually, my mother told me she fought in the Land of Rivers when she was a little older than us," Akane said coolly. "She and the late elder Chiyo defeated a member of the well-known Akatsuki in their own hideout."

"The Akatsuki…Tou-san told us stories about them. He fought them too when he was our age" Hiroshi added.

"Are they really gone? I mean, I've heard rumors that some members of that organization still exist," Amaya questioned. Nori peeked over her shoulder to Kaede and they shared a look of concern. Takumi caught this, but decided to say nothing.

Aiko was the one to answer the Haruno girl. "My father was with Hokage-sama on a mission to bring back a rouge ninja of the Leaf who would later become a member of the Akatsuki. I heard he's still alive, and somewhere out there." A silencing wave of fear brushed over the cell. They continued to travel in silence, aside from Hiroki's complaining every now and then.

They made it to the Land of Rivers with no resistance. They were offered a place to rest for the night before they were to travel further into the land and take a ship from the port going to the Land of Tea. The next morning, they picked up their delivery and were on their way.

Everyone was a little uneasy about the mission after they received the supplies. No one could open the two wooden crates, and a special paper seal prevented both Hyūga children from seeing into the blasted things. Regardless, they lugged the boxes with them onto a boat and set sail for the Land of Tea.

**xXxXxXx**

_(A/N: Forgive me again, things are event-less)_

After a long and uneventful sail to the Land of Tea, the bored eight man cell was on their feet again. They were only ten minutes on land before Aiko sniffed out something suspicious.

"Nori sensei…," Aiko said, halting the cell.

"Hai…Someone's definitely-"

"AMAYA!"

"Aeeeiii!" Kunai were drawn at the sound of Amaya's scream. She was being held captive by a man who was able to insert himself into the middle of the cell. Nori saw the forehead protector he wore.

"*gasps* Iwa! Why were you sent? Answer me!"

"_An Iwagakure ninja…!" _Kaede thought as sweat began to form on his face.

The Iwa ninja gave no answer. Instead, he pulled out a kunai and held the blade to Amaya's neck, which only made her tremble more.

"Let my sister go!" Akane cried.

"Hand over the supplies." A voice from behind the large man said. The figure showed himself; another Iwa ninja.

"Why do you need these supplies? Last I checked, Iwa had no qualms about the Land of Tea or their people," Kaede shot back.

"It's none of your concern, it's for you safety and benefit as well."

"J-just what's in th-th-those boxes anyway?!" Hiroki choked out. His knees shook slightly and he kept a tight grip on his kunai. The Iwa enemies turned their attention to the loudmouth, which only made him tremble more.

"We don't want to harm Leaf shinobi, so just hand over the supplies and we'll release the girl," The deep male voice was growing impatient. He could smell a lingering bloodlust in the group of Leaf ninja before him. "Very well…"

"Wait," Kaede stopped him, "You said handing over the supplies would help us…what is it exactly that you're protecting us from. Iwa and Konoha were never on good terms. What kind of greater power exists in the Land of Tea that would bring harm to your nation and ours?"

The Iwa ninja chuckled slightly, "Nothing…yet. But that's what we're trying to prevent."

"I won't let you interfere with our mission!" Hiroki began gathering chakra.

"And I won't let you harm my sister!" Akane added.

The red-head began weaving signs as the blonde gathered more chakra, despite the warnings given by their sensei.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

"Multi shadow-clone jutsu!"

**xXxXxXx**

And that's all for chapter four! Yes, I did my homework and looked up information about the Land of Rivers and Land of Tea. Good thing not much has happened there in the real Naruto-verse, leaves room for creation!

PLEASE REVIEW! I NEED REVIEWS!

New Character:

Kaede: Male, 23, _"maple"_


	5. Chapter 5: Awakening

Chapter 5: Awakening!

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

"Multi shadow-clone jutsu!"

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!" The leader of the two jumped in front of the man who held Amaya and slammed his hands onto the ground. In an instant, a thick wall protruded from the earth, rendering Akane's fire jutsu useless. The five Hiroki clones jumped the wall, each with a kunai in hand.

"Don't forget about me, ya know! Take this!" The clones threw their kunai at the large Iwa ninja holding Amaya, but he simply brought his left arm up to block them. "Your rock armor won't work here," a Hiroki clone smirked.

"_*gasps* Explosive tags!"_ The Iwa ninja tossed Amaya to the smaller Iwa, who caught here and pushed her against the wall. The larger ninja jumped back as the armor encased the left side of his body. *BOOM* The tags exploded, only giving the ninja small burns.

"You'll stay here for now," the smaller ninja made a hand sign and the earth wall shifted. Soon, Amaya's limbs and waist were bound the wall. She spat in his face. "Why you little brat!" He pulled his arm back to hit her, but just then he received a blow to the face.

Akane's punched connected. Next, he launched a kick to the enemy's side, but the Iwa had recovered, and blocked the kick.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Blade!" Nori's hand pierced through the smaller Iwa's chest, barely avoiding any vital areas.

"Big brother!" The larger Iwa called out. Kaede covered Nori, stepping between her and the uninjured Iwa.

"Stand down, he won't die," Kaede said sternly.

"Now that I have your attention, tell me, just what exactly is going on?" Nori said. The Iwa choked up blood.

"I…rather die by your ignorant hand," he choked out. "The Leaf will perish soon…relatively soon. And it'll be because of you, and your idiocy!" The ninja coughed up more blood. "The Leaf nin, were never really bright, were they?"

"You take that back!" Aiko yelled.

"No…it's true. And in this state…" the bleeding Iwa turned to his younger brother. "Our mission is failed brother. They'll kill us back home…or we'll die in _it_." He smiled and swiftly pulled a kunai from his holster. "This is end…" Before anyone could stop him, he thrust the kunai into his heart, and passed away.

Nori yanked her hand from the dead ninja's chest, and let him fall. Everyone stared at the other Iwa, who was grieving.

"You…"

Kaede readied himself.

"Die!" The Iwa jumped back and began weaving seals at rapid speed. Kaede jumped after him, throwing his kunai to try and stop him. He took the kunai, and continued weaving signs. "Earth Style: Piercing Spears!"

"Jump!" Rapid spikes of earth shot from under the Leaf ninja, giving them shallow cuts on their legs. The spikes continued towards the earth wall that Amaya was bound to.

"NO!"

Blood ran down the wall.

*Tha-thump*

There was no movement.

*Tha-thump*

Amaya didn't move.

*Tha-thump*

The Leaf ninja landed a few feet from the attack; hiding in the surrounding forest. Akane had doubled over, holding his stomach, shaking, and his eyes wide. Suddenly, he fell to his knees, screaming and squirming from pain.

"Oh shit!" Nori yelled.

"_It's happening!"_ Kaede said as he rushed to Akane. "Cover me!" The jounin carefully pinned Akane to the ground on his stomach, and lifted the back of the shirt.

"W-what's on his back?!" Aiko asked, terrified.

"No time, cover Kaede sensei!" Nori motioned nervously to the remaining ninja as they charged forward. _"I hope he has it under control…"_

**xXxXxXx**

"Sending and eight man squad for a delivery Naruto-kun? That's…a bit overdone…," Hinata said quietly.

"I know…but both squads wanted a C-ranked mission, and this was the only one that sounded the least dangerous…," he shook his head. "Besides, I had a funny feeling…" Naruto looked up at Hinata and smiled. "They'll be alright. Promised."

**xXxXxXx**

"_The seal isn't closing…this is bad…very bad!"_ Kaede fueled more chakra into his right hand as he tried to close the seal on Akane's back. The red-head twisted and screamed underneath Kaede's hold. _"At this rate-"_

His thoughts were cut short as Akane pushed off the ground. The genin ran forward through the bushes, and out towards the battle. "AMAYA!" Kaede ran after him.

**xXxXxXx**

"Eight-Trigrams!" Hiroshi screamed. He jabbed his fingers into the Iwa twice, then eight, but before he could attack again, the Rock shinobi grabbed his wrist, and threw him over his shoulder. _"Wh-what? I should have immobilized his arms!"_ Hiroshi thought as he landed. But then he realized, the earth armor that the Iwa wore was preventing him from stopping his chakra network.

"Lighting Style: Lightning-"

A powerful punch connected from below, sending Nori into the air. Before she could react, the Iwa's fist twisted into her stomach, and then his leg into her side. To end her, he raised both fists over his head, until...

"Fang over fang!" Aiko and Madoka spun from directly under the Iwa. They collided with him as Takumi caught Nori, who fell from the air. The Inuzuka and her dog only managed to inflict damage to the rock armor, which accumulated at the point of impact seconds before the attack.

"_This guy is impossible! How much did we piss him off?"_ Hiroki thought as he made more clones.

*BOOM!*

To everyone's surprise, hundreds of explosive tags went off on the Iwa's body, badly burning his back. He spun around to face his red-head attacker.

"_His…eyes…,"_ Takumi observed.

"_It happened…,"_ Nori though when she recovered.

"A-Akane! Your eyes, they're…they're red!"

**xXxXxXx**

And chapter 5 is done! What happened to Akane? And his sister? Read next chapter and review!


	6. Chapter 6: Questions

Chapter 6: Questions…!

"It happened…so soon…"

"Your eyes, they're…red!"

Akane focused solely on the large Iwa, who stared at him in fright. "I…I though your kind wasn't around anymore!" The red-head gave no answer and charged forward, weaving hand signs. "This jutsu again…?" The Iwa raised his arms to shield himself with the earth armor as Akane's Phoenix Flower jutsu hit him. "The intensity…it's stronger!" He tried to build more armor, but the fire reached his skin and burned his arms badly. "Ahhhggg! You brat!"

"Die."

The red head concentrated his chakra and charged forward. The Iwa ducked and aimed a punch for his stomach, but Akane read his movements and jumped over his back. When he landed, he dogged kick, and a punch, and another kick. "There!" He slammed his fist into the Iwa's chest, and knocked him down.

He struggled to breath, and couldn't stand. "This is your end." Akane mercilessly threw a kunai into the Iwa's head. When he could see that there was no more threat, he rushed to his sister. Everyone stood behind him in silence.

"Amaya…," The red-head hesitated before noticing faint breathing from the still body of the girl. He summoned what little chakra he had left to heal her.

"A medic ninja? So, you chose him huh, Sakura?" Kaede thought as he himself tended to Nori's wounds. She tried to shove him away, but he silently insisted and eventually she gave in.

Soon, Akane was able to carefully break the earth wall bonds and slide Amaya off the spikes. Both of them collapsed to the floor. "Chakra exhaustion…," Kaede thought as he rushed to the siblings. He used his own medical ninjutsu to continue healing Amaya's flesh wounds. Nori stood shakily and came over to Kaede.

"What should we do?" She asked quietly as she looked at Akane. "What if we get attacked again? It would re-activate no doubt, it was a onetime seal."

Kaede sighed. "We have to head back to Konoha, all of us," he said after some time. "This one is in no condition to fight, and him…Hokage-sama will have to deal with him. After what happened here, there's no doubt that something suspicious is going on. Those supplies are more than they seem."

"Nori-sensei…is…are they alright?" Hiroshi asked as him and the others approached the jounin. Nori looked at them with hurt plastered on her face.

"They're alive, but hurt badly," She thought for a moment, then her face turned serious. "Listen here you four, I don't want any questions or conversations from anyone about what you saw in Akane today. That's S-class information as far as you all need to know, and it shouldn't be spoken of. Understood?" The four genin nodded in fear and curiosity. They had no idea what was going on. "Good…Hiroki, grab the supplies. We're all heading back to Konoha."

"But, aborting the mission? That's unlawful!" Aiko sassed.

"Not in this case!" Nori raised her voice. "We're aborting mission, and that's an order." Hiroki reluctantly lugged the supplies behind him as Nori picked up Amaya and placed her on her back. Kaede did the same with Akane, and the teams headed home.

xXxXxXx

"My…my children…," Sakura looked at her son and daughter with tears in her eyes. Both cells made it home safely, but they're appearance had grown harder to bear. Everyone was dirt stained, while some such as Aiko and Hiroshi had puffy eyes from the tears they shed.

"I-I'm sorry ma I couldn't…couldn't protect them…Aiko said quietly to her surrogate mother. Sakura shook her head and held Aiko close.

"It's not your fault."

The rest of the teams left Aiko and Sakura to watch the injured siblings lay in their hospital beds.

At the Hokage's office, Nori, Kaede, Hiroshi, Hiroki, and Takumi stood in front of Naruto and Hinata. He stared at them in silence for a while.

"I'm glad everyone is safe," The oldest blonde managed to say. The sensei gave to report of the mission to the Hokage, only saying that there was an 'important discussion' that needed to happen in private in place of Akane's incident. "Hinata, please, can you take our kids outside? Takumi, you are dismissed."

Hinata nodded and lead the three genin out of the door. When the door closed behind her, Naruto leaned forward. "I'm guessing it happened, didn't it?"

Nori and Kaede raised an eyebrow in surprise, then nodded. "His…anger was too powerful…I couldn't halt the process…," Kaede said, defeated.

"Kaede…" Nori frowned.

"No need to feel sorry about yourself," Naruto said bluntly. "However dangerous this whole situation this is, we need to have a meeting, and soon. All jounin only…then I'll decide whether to speak to the other Kages or not."

"But Naruto, Iwa attacked us! Shouldn't we be going to them first?"

"Not so fast. They might know something we don't. unfortunately, Kaede's right. There's something deeper going on here, and it's the last thing I need before the chunin exams…"

xXxXxXx

Later…at the jounin's meeting the next morning…

"As many of you know…the chunin exams are only three weeks away…" Naruto began. He looked around the room of assembled jounin. Hinata sat beside him, and his assistant, Moegi, stood behind him. "But, as you've been informed, that's not what we're here for. Recently, on a mission outside of the village, an Uchiha child had broken through the seal and was able to activate his Sharingan."

A soft stir broke out among the roomful of jounin. All but Nori and Kaede were talking.

"Despite this unfortunate timing, I, along with the approval of his sensei and all exam proctors, would like to allow Akane Uchiha AND Amaya Uchiha to continue to compete in the chunin selection exams."

The stir was louder this time, and Nori's voice took charge. "You agreed to this?" She asked Kaede in disbelief. When he gave no answer, she stood and yelled over the noise. "Hokage-sama! This is unfair! Not only does this put an unfortunate advantage on the boy, but it also puts the rest of the genin at risk. What if Sasuke returns, or even the Missing Three? That, and the genin wouldn't know who or what they're facing; the Uchiha clan is only something they've heard of in stories!"

"We are prepared for them to know…after all, we can't keep them in the dark forever. They ARE genin now, they'll need to adapt to new challenges. What better way than in the chunin exams? And as I said, the exam proctors are prepared as well. They know the full risk of putting an active Uchiha into the chunin exams. ANBU and the proctors will have a tight security, as promised."

"With all due respect to you and your trust in us, Naruto, we were unable to protect ourselves the last two times he attacked. Even if he's still suffering from the injuries from his last visit, he is strong," Neji spoke calmly.

"I understand that…," Naruto sighed. "But as much as we need to protect the kunoichi of Konoha we can't just hide them. That would make us completely suspicious, and show him we're afraid. I know Sasuke better than anyone…he thrives off weakness. We won't give him that kind of power this time…," Naruto trailed off. "I personally won't allow him to harm another woman in this village, even if it kills me," he said in a quieter tone.

"There's one last thing before I let you all go," Naruto continued. "Team 5's and Team 9's mission was to deliver special supplies from the Land of Rivers to the Land of Tea. However, they were attacked by Iwagakure ninja on the way. These ninja hinted some danger in the boxes of supplies, before they were both killed. Our intelligence base is still working to safely open the supply box. Otherwise, I have reason to believe that our concern here are the smaller lands that surround us, not Iwagakure, at least at the moment. I don't want anyone to jump to conclusions just yet, but keep this in mind," He paused and drew a slow breath. "We can't simply regard the lands without hidden villages anymore. After our grand shinobi alliance, they have been getting nervous of the shinobi strength. But for now, they shouldn't be a threat. Everyone's dismissed."

Reluctantly, the jounin shuffled out of the meeting room. All except Naruto, Hinata, and Kaede remained.

"Naruto," Kaede said, "I have the deepest faith in my students, all of them…but if he returns and tries to harm Nori…I will have his life." Naruto simply stared at Kaede, who left without another word.

"This…is going to be difficult, Hinata-chan."

xXxXxXx

Nori sat outside her apartment. Kaede spotted her and walked over.

"Are you alright?" He asked. She stayed silent and still for a few moments. Kaede sat next to her. "When…we were first attacked, I smelled bloodlust," he looked at her from the corner of his eye, and in a concerning tone he asked, "The nightmares haven't started again, have they?" After a short pause she nodded in response.

"It's the stress, lately…"

"I understand…," He looked at her and blushed slightly when she caught his eyes. "Please, Nori, if there's ever anything you-"

"Don't worry about me!" She said with a sudden cheery attitude. "I'll be fine, promised." She gave him a toothy grin. When he smiled back at her, she stood up and walked to her door. "Hey," she stopped before she went in, "Thank you."

"No problem," He watched her close the door behind her. Kaede's heart twisted at the possibility of never being able to see her smile again. He wouldn't be able to bear it.

**xXxXxXx**

Chapter 6 end! A surprising twist I hope? The chunin exams are soon, please read and review if you want to know what will happen next!


	7. Chapter 7: A Lazy Man's Scars

Wow, thanks to all that reviewed my story recently, I've received such a confidence boost! I appreciate everyone's words, really, and I hope to continue interesting people. So, before the chapter begins, here are some recent questions:

Q: Explain more about Sasuke's attacks on the leaf, (please). So he's taking woman from (K)onoha by force?

A: Not taking, but you'll see in this chapter just a glimpse of what he had done in the past. I don't want to spoil too much!

Q: (W)ho is Shikamaru's wife?

A: You'll see in this chapter actually!

Enjoy!

Chapter 7: A Lazy Man's Scars…!

In his home; a small not-too-fancy house near the middle of Konoha, Shikamaru sat at the table, and stared at it. His Shogi board sat in front of him. The lazy jounin hadn't moved a piece or bothered his son all day; signs of a troubled shinobi like himself.

"I couldn't…help her…"

_Flashback_

"Any questions?"

All the genin looked at him in fright. _"Sent back to the academy?...Start all over again?...Why?!"_ They whispered amongst themselves.

"Good, now begin!" The genin looked down at their papers. Some began writing immediately, others developed a layer of sweat and Shikamaru's command to start.

No later than five minutes had passed before a jounin called out a name. The boy was caught cheating, and he was escorted out of the room, reluctantly. Towards the end of the test, three more genin were either caught or had given up.

BANG! The door to the exam room flew open.

"Everybody come with me! Now!" The genin stood up and shuffled out of the room, softly muttering bits of confused terror and relief."

"What is this?!" Shikamaru questioned.

"The village is under attack! It's…it's Sasuke!"

Shikamaru swallowed hard and turned around. He jumped up and broke out of the exam room through the window, running home. _"Be safe, please…please be safe!"_ Reaching the door to the house, the lazy jounin took no hesitation in slamming open the door.

He fell.

Before him, Temari laid on the floor, in fetal position, unconscious. Shikamaru held his stomach, and threw up. His wife laid there, exposed…torn, and worst of all, violated.

"S-s-s-s-s…S-s-s…S-Sau-s-s…SASUKE!"

As carefully as he could in his enraged state, he picked up his wife rushed rushed to the medic firm. On the way, and through the blur of his tears, he caught a glimpse of Neji doing the same.

"N-n-not Tenten…too!" He bit his lip in anger, so hard it bled. An explosion in the direction of the Hokage's tower drove his attention away from Neji. "Tsunade-sama!" Both men reached the medic hospital and each laid their wives on an open bed before jumping off.

They also reached the Hokage's tower too late.

When they busted through the door of the Hokage's office, they saw Naruto, doubled over Tsunade's body. The seal on her forehead was gone, and Naruto, who always had a knack for surviving terrible injuries, had deep gashes and holes in his body. Neither Neji nor Shikamaru dared to approach the young blonde, they knew his pain was too much to bother with. When they turned to leave and go back to their wives, they heard Naruto's muttering.

"N-n-not like th-this…not like this…not like this…"

**xXxXxXx**

Shikamaru stood next to his wife in the hospital. Temari was in bed, still unconscious. The medic ninja had gotten her cleaned up, and her wounds treated. He was so shocked that he didn't notice Sakura approach him.

"Shikamaru…," she said, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. He didn't move, he didn't blink, he just looked at Temari.

"Tell me."

Sakura drew a sharp breath. "Yes. It's positive, she's-"

"I need a moment," Shikamaru stood, and without looking at the pink haired medic, he pushed pass her and went outside. Without thinking, he ran to the nearest supply shop, brought a pack of cigarettes, and tore it open. He placed one in his mouth and pulled out the rusty lighter he kept in his pocket, flipped it open, and lit it. Before he brought the flame to the cigarette, he paused. Yellow and orange and blue danced in front of his vision. Without much more hesitation, he lit the smoke, and drew his first long breath of the warm cigarette. The bad habit began.

"Pregnant…she's…pregnant…"

_End flashback_

_"And that was only the first time…"_ Shikamaru stood outside now, smoking. The memory triggered it, that was always his excuse. More memories flooded his thoughts as he remembered the second attack, which was a few years after. That time, Sasuke managed to rape and harm three more of Konoha women; Ino, Sakura, and Karin. Karin was the only one who died, he recalled, but only after her child's birth. When he looked up, he saw Temari from a distance, and threw his cigarette down; reluctantly grinding it under his shoes.

"Oi, I saw that!" She called out with a smile.

"Welcome home," He tried to sound like he wasn't choking on tears. Temari reached him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Thanks. I've got a lot of work to do before the exams. So do you!" She let his waist go and dragged him inside by his wrist. "Shikamari!"

"He's out on a mission."

"Gah! Without him home things have been even more troublesome…," the dirty blonde complained as she went to their bedroom. Shikamaru smiled slightly at her tendency to pick up on his way of speaking. He thought about how it seemed like she had completely forgotten about it. When she came back into the kitchen, he wanted to ask her something, but hesitated.

"Temari…"

"What is it?" She rummaged around the refrigerator for something to eat.

"…did your brother decide to let Sho in the chunin exams this year?"

She froze. He knew it was a mistake, he shouldn't have asked. Minutes passed before Temari moved and closed the refrigerator door.

"Yes, he is." She walked pass Shikamaru and back into their bedroom. He knew she was trying to forget, he knew it! What and idiot! Before Sho turned five she sent him to Sunagakure, where she asked her brother Gaara to raise him. She knew he had a lot to deal with as Kazekage, but she couldn't bear looking at the product of her weakest point in life. She still loved Sho as much as she loved Shikamari, but the pain was too much to bear.

**xXxXxXx**

Sakura, Kiba, and Shino stood in the hospital room where Amaya and Akane were resting. It's been three days since they arrived at the hospital. Aiko slept loudly in the extra hospital bed in the room; she refused to leave her siblings and go home. Her dog Madoka never left her. Recently, Akane had recovered from his chakra exhaustion, but he was being kept there a while longer because of his weak state. Amaya was still unconscious.

"We'll have to tell them," Shino said with a small trace of sadness in his voice. "Aiko will have to know as well." Kiba opened his mouth, about to go against what his former teammate was suggesting, but he closed it when he realized Shino was right. His daughter would have to know the truth about her sibling-friends, he didn't want that kind of tension in the house.

"I'll tell them, it's only right," Sakura said. She looked healthier than normal, mostly because she was allowed time off work. Her constant days at the hospital, tending to patients and doing paperwork, took a toll on her appearance. But she loved her work and wouldn't trade it for any other profession in Konoha. She tried being a team leader years ago but her heart lied here, especially because of the attacks. Shizune, who was now Sakura's boss, took her position in the hospital gladly so Sakura could rest.

"We should go home," Kiba said, patting her daughter on the forehead lightly. All three of them left the hospital slowly, Akamaru tagging behind.

**xXxXxXx**

Hiroshi and Hiroki were training in one of their personal training sessions; this time, practicing taijutsu. Hiroki showed Hiroshi how to defend himself easily without using too much energy.

"A-again!" Hiroshi heaved.

"No no…we'll rest now."

"Again!" The younger twin charged at his brother, throwing a punch at Hiroki's chest.

"H-hey!" Hiroki side-stepped, avoiding the punch. Hiroshi quickly pivoted, aiming a kick at his brother's stomach. His brother caught his ankle, and immobilized him. "What's the big idea Hiroshi?"

The younger sibling squirmed and punched the air, hanging from his ankle where his brother was holding him. _"He hasn't been like this before…"_

"Let me go, let me go, let me go!"

"Hiroshi…I'm just as scared as you are, but you can't protect Amaya from everything. She's a strong kunoichi," Hiroki stared at his brother hopelessly. "It's good to want to train hard, but you can't hurt yourself…" Tears ran down Hiroshi's face and he stopped squirming. His brother set him down.

"H-h-h-Hiroki," he choked.

"Yeah?"

"I-I heard about Ume t-t-too, that day…"

"Nori sensei said not to talk-"

"I want to find them too! If it's true, if Tou-san was telling the truth, then I want to find them, and bring them home! Home!" Hiroshi cried out at the top of his lungs. His brother stared at him.

"We'll bring them home…one day."

**xXxXxXx**

Thanks for the kind words and continued support. I'm happy my work is being enjoyed!

New character!

Sho Uchiha; 15, male,_"to fly, to soar, wind instrument"_


	8. Chapter 8: Kazekage's Preparations

Thanks all for the continued support of my Naruto fan fiction! I'm glad everyone's enjoying it. But please, review more. Even if you don't have an account. I really will appreciate it!

Q: Just wondering why is Kiba, Sakura and Shino living together?

A: Great question. It should make a little more sense in this chapter, but here's a brief why:

Kiba doesn't have a woman to help raise Aiko, and Shino is close to Kiba, so they live together. Sakura was raped by Sasuke, and doesn't have a husband to help take care of Amaya and Akane. So, they all support each other and the children.

**xXxXxXx**

Chapter 8: Kazekage's Preparations!

_In Sunagakure the next day…_

Matsuri sat outside of the Kazekage's tower, watching as all the jounin assembled into the meeting room below her. A hawk cried out in front of her as it swooped down.

"Huh?" Matsuri stood and extended her arm. When the bird landed, she untied the scroll from its back. "*gasps* I've got to tell Gaara!" She ran towards the meeting room. They were all gathered there for the chunin exam announcements. "Gaara!"

"Matsuri, shouldn't be running so hard when you're pregnant…"

"It's Konoha! They sent this," she handed him the letter and he read it.

"So it happened huh?" Gaara sat and thought about his decision. "I'll tell the jounin and the proctors, Matsuri. Thank you." When the noise in the meeting room settled, Gaara stood. "There has been a message from Konoha, regarding the chunin exams," he began. "That is also why we are here. First, I would like to say I am proud that every jounin in charge of a cell is confident enough to enter their students into the chunin exams; this shows how far Suna has gotten…However, if anyone would like to withdraw after this information from Konoha, it won't be looked down upon."

"What is it Gaara?" Kankuro asked.

"One of the two Uchiha children activated their Sharingan."

There were loud gasps and whispers heard around the room. Most people were terrified.

"The Hokage has decided to keep both children in the chunin exams regardless. On that note, I've decided to let Sho compete as well."

A Suna jounin woman spoke out frantically against Gaara. "But Kazekage-sama! They run the risk of bringing Sasuke back to attack him. His injuries may still be present, but who knows? The guy's a freak. If he hears that one of his offspring finally activated their doujutsu he'll take them!"

"They are well aware of the risks. Now, would anyone like to withdraw from the exam?" At first, nobody spoke, but before the meeting was dismissed, three cells were withdrawn. Gaara and Matsuri headed back to the Kazekage's tower after.

"You're fine with Sho entering the chunin exams this year…he is older than most of those who would be going," Matsuri said in a concerning tone.

"Yes I know, but he can't stay a genin forever. Like the other Uchiha children, he'll have to get stronger, to protect himself."

"_Uchiha children…"_ Matsuri never met an Uchiha until her sister-in-law Temari gave Sho to Gaara. There were five, as far as she knew. The injuries that Naruto gave Sasuke have kept the dangerous ex-ninja out of the drama, and away from any other village. She was grateful of that.

Sho hasn't activated his doujutsu yet; the same seal was on his back like all the others. Because of Gaara, and because of the attacks in Konoha, she heard of the power of the Uchiha and their legendary Sharingan. The limits of the Sharingan were unknown to her, but she concluded it was pretty dangerous. After all, her husband had fought an Uchiha when he was competing for chunin rank…and lost.

"You're worried about raising our child along with Sho," Gaara pointed out. She never really mentioned it, but ever since she found out she was pregnant, it's been in the back of her mind. Giving Gaara a simple nod in reply, he sighed, and held her closer. "Don't worry, I'll never let anything happen to our son."

**xXxXxXx**

Amaya finally woke from her unconsciousness. She still felt extremely weak, but she was allowed back home along with Akane. The red-head had recovered fully. Their parents didn't want to put so much stress on them right after they got out of the hospital, but they had to know. All three children and adults sat now in their kitchen, the children on one side of the table and the adults on the other.

"What is it Tou-san?" Aiko asked when she noticed the sad look on his face. She wasn't used to seeing her usually happy father look so sad. He looked up at her, but then quickly turned his attention to Sakura.

The pink-haired medic sighed. "Children…," she started. "I have something to tell you all." They all raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Have you guys ever heard of the ancient clan of the Uchiha?" The name stung her lips.

"Yeah, I have," Amaya spoke. "I read about them once."

"What does this have to do with us?" Akane said.

"_He's becoming more and more like him…"_ Sakura observed sadly. "About sixteen years ago, a missing ninja named Sasuke Uchiha attacked the women in Konoha, during the chunin selection exams. Four years later, he did it again…I was one of the women this vile man raped," She tried to hold back tears as she looked at Amaya, "I had you." Sakura said it with as much love and care in her heart as she could as the tears choked her.

"W-what?!" Akane balled up his fists. Who would do that to his mother, and if he wasn't Amaya's biological brother then…?!

"Akane, you're not a year older than Amaya you're the same age as her," tears ran down her face now and she struggled to speak. "Another woman was raped that same year and she had you! Sh-sh-she died in ch-child birth and I took you in…" She buried her face in the palms of her hands. Kiba rubbed her back and continued for her.

"Aiko…you're my daughter. And I know you know the truth about your mother. But after hearing this today I don't want you thinking any less of Sakura or your home-siblings." She nodded silently in response, taking this all in. Out the corner of her eye, she could see her brother getting angry.

"J-just wait!" He stood suddenly. "Who then? Who's this woman? Why haven't you told me b-before?!" His eyes darted from Sakura to Kiba and to Amaya, who was tugging on his shirt. He ripped away from her and bolted out of the apartment, anger in each step.

Sakura got up to go after him, but Shino stopped her. "He can't be talked to right now." She sat, realizing he was right. The red head wouldn't be able to go far. They made sure to clear this with Naruto first, who made sure ANBU wouldn't let Akane escape if he tried.

The rest of the mis-matched family sat in depressing silence. This was going to take awhile for them to get used to.

**xXxXxXx**

"_Lies! All lies! Lies, lies, lies, lies!"_ Akane was running towards the village gates. He wanted to get away from that place; that place he grew up, where he made friends, where he had a family. And now his whole life was a complete lie! At the gates was a man who looked a lot older than he was. He wore black clothes, with his forehead protector across his left eye.

His hair was a spiky cloud white.

"Hi there," the man spoke.

"L-listen you old man I'm leaving and I won't let you get in my way!" Akane yelled at the man. When he reached down to pull kunai from his holster he was disappointed to remember it was taken from him in the hospital.

"Strong words," the man said. "Though I don't blame you. I've passed my prime. Blind in one eye and retired…I'd say the same to me if I was your age still." The white haired man looked up at the sky passively.

"Get out of my way…," Akane tried to walk past the old man, but he held out his arm and gripped the boy's shoulder. There was a surprising amount of strength in the grip.

"That's some way to treat your mother's sensei."

Akane's eyes widened. "You knew my mother…?"

"Well…I taught your adoptive mother…Sakura, but-" Kakashi was cut short by a brush of Akane's arm.

"She's nothing near a mother I would want! I want a mother who's honest! Who's always there and not too busy working at the hospital all the time. A mother who would care for me like her own!"

"And she has!" Kakashi shouted. "Do you have any idea what kind of torment Sakura went through? As if being raped wasn't enough, she suffered from seeing a child lose his mother at birth. She _offered_ to take you in, because she didn't want you to grow up like her teammate; alone, unwanted, an outcast! Sakura devotes so much time to the hospital to make enough money to support you three, even though Kiba and Shino are there for her. And they themselves refuse to become sensei of their own squad. ANBU requires less of them, so they could stay home and care for you three. Don't you see?" At this point, Kakashi was calming down. "How much your adoptive mother and this village have done to protect you and your sister Amaya? With the blood of the rarest clan in you, you two have become a target all over the world."

"Is this what this is about? Our blood? This isn't our faults!" Akane unknowingly activated his Sharingan and glared at Kakashi. "You know nothing about me!"

Kakashi grabbed the genin by the shoulders. "Don't you dare!" He breathed heavily through his mask. "You're becoming just like him. Just like your father. If you let this hate manifest you'll do exactly what he did…," Kakashi gave the situation some thought before he let go. "He ran away, in search for power, to take revenge. In the dead of night he took this same path your taking, right out those gates." The elder stepped aside. "Go on. I'm sure you want to be just like him."

Akane gave Kakashi a cold look before staring at the ground, his Sharingan deactivated. The red-head said nothing more, instead, he walked away slowly. Kakashi stared at him.

"_I sure as hell hope he doesn't turn into another Sasuke…"_

**xXxXxXx**

End chapter eight! Woohoo! Okay…I know, I know, GaaMatsu, Kakashi's half blind, if you hate me go ahead and review it. It's still what people think and I don't mind that if it's reasonable.

Keep reviewing for more chappies!


	9. Chapter 9: Finally…Training

Chapter 9: Finally…Training!

_Konoha…two weeks before chunin exams_

Konohamaru was waiting in a grassy training area for his team. He was tossing around the idea of his son, Katsuro, entering the academy next year. For some reason, he felt like it was too early for him, but Hanabi felt otherwise. She believed Katsuro should have already been in the academy at the age on seven. The Sarutobi's eyes narrowed; his wife was becoming strict like her father was on her and Hinata, and he did not like it one bit.

Just as he was getting fed up with the old Hyūga ways, a familiar lazy-faced genin came into his view.

"Oi, Konohamaru sensei, you're early," Shikamari said with a yawn.

"So are you," Konohamaru chuckled, ruffling the boy's dark blonde hair.

"Pfft…my troublesome mother kicked me out of bed this morning. Ever since I graduated I haven't stopped hearing her complain," the genin sighed and laid on the grass, lacing his fingers behind his head.

"Well, the chunin exams are important, you know," he stopped for a minute and laughed.

"Actually, I think she's so eager because she wants you to win for her."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Your father put up quite a fight when they were in the chunin exams together. Back then your mother was still a Suna ninja. Although Shikamaru withdrew from the match, he was still promoted to chunin rank."

"What? Really? But mother won by default."

The jounin shook his head. "She's strong yes, but brute strength isn't what makes someone a chunin. They have to have a certain level of analytical and logical skill too something only your father had that year."

"Hmph," Shikamari snickered, "Well then, if you treat us to barbeque after our training today, I won't tell my mom you're teasing her."

"H-hey…"

Chojaru and Inoko approached their teammate and sensei waving hello. "Konohamaru senseeiiii…do we _really_ have to train so early before the chunin exams? It's so far away!" Inoko complained.

"Well, it's only two weeks away, but there's a reason why we're starting early. I won't be able to train you for the final stage in the month that they allow you. Unfortunately, I'm proctoring that section, and in that month I have to make a few preparations. Big brother Naruto said all teams could train early in that case, so here we are!" He stood and dusted off his pants. "Now, let's get started! Before we split up to train, we need to test something." The original pulled out four slips of paper and gave three to the genin before him. "Chakra nature."

"Chakra…nature?" The girls asked.

"Everyone has a chakra nature. It's what element our chakra is compatible with," Shikamari informed them.

"And by running our chakra through these slips of paper, we'll be able to tell! If it's Wind, the paper will split in half, Fire: burst in flames, Earth: crumble, Water: get soaked, and Lightning: crumple. Observe…" Konohamaru fueled a tiny bit of chakra into the paper. It first split in half, and then burst into flames.

"Huh? Sensei what's that about?"

"Most jounin have two charka natures," he smiled. "Now, you try."

"Me first, me first!" The excitable Yamanaka focused her charka into the paper. It crumbled. "Aw man, earth?! It must be wrong let me try again!"

Konohamaru shook his head. "No way Inoko. These little slips of paper are expensive. They're grown from special trees that have chakra flowing through their systems. So there's no way they could be wrong, that's what their made for." She pouted as her sensei chuckled. "Alright, who's next?"

"I'll try," Chojaru held her piece of paper and concentrated. It crinkled. "Lightning!" She was shocked. Her large and clumsy attitude seemed far from the great precision and accuracy that lightning would require.

"Guess that leaves me," Shikamari fueled a bit of chakra into his paper and watched it split in half. "Wind…*sighs* like mother."

"Alright guys, now that we've determined you chakra nature, we'll need to focus on those, and not your clan jutsu. I know you three work best as a team, and that's good. However, in the final rounds, you will each be individually pinned against other competitors, and maybe even each other. And in that case, the jutsu of the clans won't work well

separately. That's why we have to train individually."

"But sensei, there's only one of you…" Chojaru observed.

Konohamaru stroked his chin and playfully thought about the dilemma. "Hmm, I think I know how to fix that…heeheeheehee. Shadow clone jutsu!" With a puff of smoke, another Konohamaru appeared.

"Th-the forbidden technique of the sixth Hokage…," Inoko said in surprise. "I thought only him and his twin sons knew that technique?"

"Well, consider me a close friend of the Hokage," he smiled.

"Now, Inoko…I'm not very good with Earth style jutsu, but I know someone who is."

"Who sensei?"

"Me, Elder Yamato. Glad to meet you younglings. Boy, what I would give to be your age again… "

**xXxXxXx**

The training was rigorous. Each student from Konohamaru's cell was able to learn at least one new jutsu. Inoko even learned two, but they all needed much more practice. The sensei felt a little worried about them, but Yamato had reminded him that not everyone learned as fast as Naruto and himself. Konohamaru reluctantly agreed with him, but he soon forgot about it and moved on to a deeper worry. He was going to be proctoring the final test; the risk of Sasuke returning was terrifying. There were so many questions, so many doubts. And what if there was war?

Could one man start a war?

"Konohamaru," Hanabi walked into their bedroom. "…It will be alright. The protectors of Konoha are strong, the children are dedicated. Please…do not worry."

"…*sighs* Hanabi…" The white-eyed female gave him a questioning look. Konohamaru avoided her gaze and sighed again. "I'm…scared."

Hanabi felt a strange wave of anger, but she quickly softened her look to a slight smile and made her way to the bed next to her husband.

"It's…okay to be scared."

It was right to be scared.

**xXxXxXx**

I'm going to start posting one character description after each chapter. I draw, so I have a visual for what all my characters look like. Unfortunately, an art site that I won't name gives my computer troubles, so I'll have to describe them best I can. Also, in the relatives' area, if there is a star next to the name it's because they are related to the person due to Sasuke's rape. If it's a double star, then they don't know they're related to them.

First up, Shikamari Nara:

Affiliation: Konoha, Village Hidden in the Leaves

Current Ninja Rank: Genin

Date of Birth: September 9th

Age: 12

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Height: 4.7 ft

Weight: 98 lbs.

Blood Type: AB

Favorite Foods: Meat-filled dumplings

Least Favorite Foods: Anything vinegary

Hobbies: Taking naps, watching clouds and inventing weapons

Missions Completed: D-rank; 25, C-rank; 0, B-rank; 0, A-rank; 0, S-rank; 0

Parents & Relatives: Shikamaru Nara (father), Temari (mother), Sho Uchiha** (step-brother), Amaya Uchiha** (step-sister), Akane Uchiha** (step brother), 2 Unmentioned Uchiha** (step-siblings)

Description: Teal eyes and blonde hair like Temari; bangs like her, pulled into a low spiky pony-tail. Short-sleeved fishnet shirt with black sleeve-less jacket over top, worn open; both with green trim. Dark red pants. Fore-head protector metal part attached to the center of his fishnet on his chest. Hoop ear-rings.


	10. Chapter 10: Chunin Exams

Chapter 10: Chunin Exams!

_The young genin of the next generation have trained hard for the last two weeks. Some have learned more than others, but it's sure to be a great competition between this talented group of the inheritors of the Will of Fire!_

"Whaaaaatttttt!" Cell five stood with genin from every different village in the world. Besides Konoha, there were Iwa, Suna, Taki, and Kumo. At this moment, Hiroki was expressing to everyone just how upset he was that they had to take a written portion of the exam.

"H-H-Hiroki, c-c-calm down please," Hiroshi quietly muttered into his brother's ear, which was red hot from anger. The shy genin pressed his finger tips together; there were so many people from other villages that he didn't know. It made him nervous. Very nervous.

"I agree…what kind of written test would determine if we're worthy ninja or not?" Aiko crossed her arms and stared at the closed exam room doors. No one around had a clue either; everyone was just as equally upset. She looked around and sized up their competition, picking out a few genin here and there that looked tough enough for her. The young Inuzuka stopped when a group of Suna ninja approached her cell.

"Hey you two," a boy with short and spiky black hair called out the twins. "Well well, the sons of the ever so popular sixth Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki…and the princess Lady Hinata." He sized them up and snickered. "Doesn't look like much."

"Why you…!"

"H-H-Hiroki…"

The Suna boy laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Oh this surely will be interesting, don't you all think? I can't wait to take you on at some point. There's no doubt I'll humiliate you, and all of the Hyūga clan."

"Is this what this is about? What kind of beef do you have with my clan huh?"

"Agreed," Cell twelve approached from behind the Suna ninjas, Kazuo actually agreeing with his blonde cousin for once. "What did our clan ever so to you?"

The Suna boy felt surrounded. He looked back at the seemingly calmer Hyūga twins and then back to the blondes before smirking. "Nothing you need to know about. Just be sure to keep your guard up, and don't get too cocky like you special ninja always do." Without another word from anybody, the Suna boy and his team walked away. Kazuo glared at his blonde cousins.

"…Don't you dare lose to him."

Hiroki's eyes grew wide at his cousin's words. That must have been the closest thing to something nice that Kazuo has ever said to him since they entered the academy. He gave Kazuo the slightest grin before nodding his head.

"If you do, I won't be able to beat you later."

"That's if you can."

The teams split without saying another word. A few minutes passed before the exam room doors opened, and they were ushered in. When they all settled into their seats, Shikamaru appeared.

"Good morning prospective chunin," the lazy jounin started with a yawn. " This is the first portion of the chunin exams, knowledge. As a chunin, one must know a lot about his or her surroundings, the culture of other places, the history of the ninja, and other information that can and will eventually be vital in dangerous missions. Here, we will test this knowledge, but first, some guidelines. There will be absolutely NO cheating. There are moderators around this entire room. If you are caught, you will be automatically sent home."

The genin stirred and talked amongst themselves in frustration, but it quickly died back down to a silent hush. "If you are sent home for any reason, you will have to complete academy training."

"WHAT!" Hiroki, Kazuo, Amaya and Inoko angrily stood, only to be held back by one of their teammates. Shikamaru put his pinky in his ear and sighed.

"Yes, that's correct. Also, all three members of a cell must past the test, otherwise the whole cell will also have to go back to the academy. However if you forfeit now, you can have a chance of taking the exam next year."

Another stir in the room occurred as teams decided to stay or go. Within ten minutes, two cells from Iwa and one from Taki retreated, leaving the room with their heads down.

"Anyone else?" Hiroki nervously looked at his teammates. They all knew the excitable blonde wasn't very bright; he almost never reads. Aiko wasn't the smartest either, but she had a plan. The older twin nearly peed himself when he heard Shikamaru's next words.

"Great. From this point forward no one else is allowed to withdraw. The tests are being passed out. When I say begin, turn them over and start." Hiroki shakily turned back around in his seat. He was in the first row, with his brother behind him. "_Shoot, shoot! I don't know a dammed thing…why did I ever fall asleep in class? Why"?_

"Begin!"

He flipped his paper over and stared at it. Nothing. Not one answer came to his mind. The palms of his hands slowly became clammy as he looked at the moderators, who were standing as close to the walls as possible.

"_C'mon you baka, this is why I sat behind you…"_ Hiroshi though as he watch his brother silently freak. The shy blonde looked back at his paper at scribbled down more answers. A few minutes later, he noticed his brother finally writing. _"Thank goodness, he figured it out…"_

"_Byakugan, duh! I'm such an idiot. Thanks Hiroshi!"_

Akane and Amaya had been training with elder Kakashi for the past two weeks, while Kaede sensei focused on Takumi. Naruto had removed the seal from both Uchiha children, as they promised to be responsible with their new found ability. Akane was far more comfortable with using it; especially now as he watched the pencil strokes of some of the smartest people he knew in his year. Amaya, on the other hand, relied on her good old-fashioned past time of staying in the library every now and again. Sakura had taught them both; it's equally important to train your brain than it is to train your body.

Inoko, having inherited more of her mother's abilities than her father's, was able to quickly enter the minds of the smart students and retreat once she memorized one or two answers. Her brother Takumi was gratefully smart, and he had reluctantly agreed to let her cheat off him the most. Shikamari had struck a deal with Hiari, who was using his fire ants to discretely gather information for the both of them.

The test lasted a good long hour, in which surprisingly no one was caught. _"This bunch is definitely good…we might have to raise our standards,"_ thought Shikamaru. "Alright, the test is over. But, there is one final question."

"What? Oh c'mon sensei…," Hiroki complained.

"One question, that if not answered correctly, you will NEVER be able to re-take the chunin exams."

"HUH!?"

"That's right. The whole cell will fail, but only one person from each cell can answer. You still have a chance now to withdraw as a team, if you wish." Hiroki looked back at his teammates.

"What do we do guys?! Should we risk this?"

"I- I- I'll go…," Hiroshi spoke up.

"But what if you don't get the answer right bro?"

"Yeah, we'll be stuck with D-ranked missions for life…," Aiko groaned and crossed her arms.

"W-we should take the risk guys. What does that say about us if we don't?" The two gave it some thought, and nodded in agreement.

"Alright, w trust you bro."

"Yeah, and if we lose, we won't blame this on ya, promised."

The shy genin nodded and raised his hand; therefore showing that he was going to speak for his team. No one else backed down. They were all safe.

Shikamaru smiled. "Well then, since no one's in protest, then no one backs down from a challenge…that's what we were looking for. You all pass." Every genin breathed a sigh of relief. "Tomorrow, you will start section two of the exam. Make sure you come up and take a card for your group. Don't lose it, or you won't be able to enter. Be on time."

"Alright!" Hiroki pumped his fist into the air, causing Aiko to shake her head.

"Yes!" Amaya cheered in the same manner. Hiroshi blushed at her behavior. _"Amaya-chan…"_

"*sighs* How troublesome."

**xXxXxXx**

Cool! Ten chapters completed. Be ready for epic Forest of Death action. I'll try not to make the exams too long and boring. But first, I'll have a special "filler episode" like chapter next.

Let's do Kaede this time. He's my favorite!

Affiliation: Konoha, Village Hidden in the Leaves

Current Ninja Rank: Jounin

Date of Birth: November 19th

Age: 25

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Height: 6.7 ft

Weight: 120 lbs.

Blood Type: O

Favorite Foods: Salty pork and rice

Least Favorite Foods: Sweet bean paste

Hobbies: Talking to Nori, jarring fruits

Missions Completed: D-rank; 105, C-rank; 23, B-rank; 15, A-rank; 28, S-rank; 0

Parents & Relatives: None mentioned yet

Description: Regular jounin outfit. Short brown hair, parted on his right, bangs to the left, one lock of blonde hair. Headband worn like Ebisu, except instead of over the forehead, the metal is on top of his head, like Sakura. (hard to explain I'm so sorry)

Thank you! Please review!


	11. Chapter 11: Poor, poor Kaede (filler!)

Chapter 11: Poor, poor Kaede…

_Wow, the genin this year really did show an interesting nature in their personalities. As they finish the rest of the day, thinking about tomorrow and their possible career as a chunin, Kaede is desperately trying to win over his best friend Nori; the loud and strange kunoichi that had his eye since they served in the ANBU black-ops together. Let's see what he tries this evening in this Naruto Akkippuden filler!_

The evening following the exams was warm and relaxing. Inoko had returned to the flower shop after the exams, bringing Chojaru with her. They sat behind the counter, talking about how exciting it would be if they became chunin. Hiari, who frequented the flower shop, was quietly observing the red tulips outside the shop.

"Oh! Hiiiiii Kaede senseeeeiiii," Inoko stood up and giggled. "Here to get some flowers for Nori senseeeiii?" The jounin blushed. He had just stepped through the doors before the verbal ambush stopped him.

"N-no way. I was just um…just looking that's all…"

"Oh don't lie sensei, we all know what you're up to."

"Yeah, it's no secret sensei," Chojaru said with a giggle. The girls looked at each other with scheming smiles on their faces as poor Kaede stood helplessly in the shop.

"H-hey that's not true. Like I said I'm just here to look."

"Everyone in Konoha knows you have the _hugest_ crush on Nori sensei," Inoko teased, disappearing into the walk-in refrigerator where she kept pre-made arrangements. "No secret at all."

"Indeed," Hiari said out of nowhere, causing the tensed jounin to jump. Nobody noticed he had stepped into the shop. "My ant friends see you always lurking near Nori sensei whenever she's out. It is indeed no secret."

Inoko's head popped out from behind the fridge door and her and Chojaru gave Hiari a questioning look. Then their gazes turned to Kaede, who was an even deeper shade of red than before.

"Aha ha ha…I don't um…I never…"

"Don't deny it sensei. My bugs never lie to me. They see everything." A dark presence surrounded Hiari as he slowly turned around and left the shop.

"Ew…why do you let him around the shop Inoko?" Chojaru shivered.

"A-anyway," Inoko came out from the fridge and set a modestly arranged flower piece on the counter. We've noticed awhile ago sensei, it's not that hard to see. So, I went through the trouble of getting to know her. These are some of the flowers and colors she likes. Don't mess this up, okay?" The young girl smiled brightly at Kaede, who nervously picked up the darn purple pot. He never knew his tomboyish heart throb liked flowers. There were white daisies with tiny, rounded yellow flower surrounding them, making a bright but not-too-busy display.

"Uh…thank you. I'll definitely credit you h-how much do I owe?" Kaede's blush never faded as he held the flowers in one arm and dug in his pocket for money.

"Nothing sensei, nothing for a first shot. And don't credit me say you did it yourself, she'll _die_ when she hears that. Now go, go go go. We don't want you being late for your date." Inoko shoved Kaede out of her shop and into the open streets.

"But it's not a-"

"Bye!" *SLAM*

Kaede sighed. He really only hoped to look in the shop for some flowers for her, but after hearing from the young genin how obvious his crush was he had lost faith in himself. He kept his head down, walking slowly towards his apartment, deciding not to see her today. As he was lost in thoughts, he didn't notice the two short blurs of orange whiz by him, who caught both his arms in the process, dragging him in the other direction.

"Hey! What's the big idea?"

"You're going the wrong way sensei!"

"Y-yeah…Nori sensei's house is this way."

"Hiroki, Hiroshi, I'm not seeing Nori today!" He freed himself from their grasp and made sure the flowers were okay. _"Whyyy…why did I have to get picked on today?"_

"Aw c'mon Kaede senseeeeiii…we see what you're trying to do here. Bringing her flowers and chocolate, you two are going on a _date_," Hiroki made kissy faces at him and his brother giggled.

"_That word again…I am not!" _"It's not a date Hiroki, I'm not even on my way to see her. And I don't have chocolate. I'm going home," He said angrily and he started to walk away from the twins.

"*gasps* No chocolate? You can't go on a first date without chocolate sensei!"

"For the last time it's not a-"

"Let's go!" Soon he was being dragged by the twins again, heading deeper into Konoha's market and further from home. The flowers seemed to tease him too as they tickled his hand. _"What a day…"_

**xXxXxXx**

"I. Don't. Know."

The poor jounin had sat in the shop for the last half hour, the pot of flowers resting on his right knee as the arm that supported his head rested on his left. He buried his face deeper into his hand as the two blondes darted around the candy shop.

"How do you not know what type of chocolate your own _girlfriend_ like sensei?"

"She is NOT my girlfriend."

"Well she never will be if you don't impress her!"

Flames practically shot out of Kaede's eyes as the twins kept pestering him; shoving chocolate into his face and asking if it was what she liked.

"Oooo, who's this lucky lady that poor Kaede is trying to win over?" An old lady appeared behind the counter and chuckled.

"Grandma Amai!" The twins rushed over to the old lady and hugged her. She smiles and ruffled their hair.

"Oh you two have grown haven't you? Ninja already…protecting good old Konoha from danger!" She pulled out two lollipops from her apron pocket and handed them to the young blondes. "Now that your grown I shouldn't be spoiling you two with too much candy should I?" She chuckled a hearty laughter as their faces turned into a pout.

"K-Kaede sensei is looking to buy chocolate for Nori sensei."

"He has a _biiiiiggg_ crush on her," Hiroki added in a not-so-quiet whisper.

"Oh? She visits all the time. And the only chocolate I ever see her buy is this one…" Amai slowly walked over to a shelf and picked up a swirled chocolate bar. "A unique blend for a unique girl, and such beautiful flowers!" She handed Kaede the chocolate, who politely took it and thanked her.

"You didn't have to Amai-sama; how much will this be?" He stood and placed the chocolate carefully on top of the flowers so he could grab the money from his pocket, but the old lady stopped him.

"Don't worry about it deary," she said, shoving him out of the candy store. "Young love doesn't cost a thing. Enjoy your date sonny, treat her nice!"

"But Amai-sama, it's not a-"

"Bye sensei!" Hiroki and Hiroshi said before they slammed the door in his face. He sighed and walked away from the shop once again heading home. _"I am NOT embarrassing myself today."_ With the free chocolate and flowers in his hands he sure did look like he was heading out for a date…hopefully, no one else stopped him, especially not…

"Kaede."

He stopped cold in his tracks. The familiar voice sent chills down his spine. "K-K-K-Kakashi-sama!" A hand gripped Kaede's shoulder firmly.

"If you dare hurt my daughter, I will kill you."

*gulp*

"D-don't worry Kakashi-sama, I'm not even g-going to see her today! I swear. See, I-I'm heading home!" He raised his shaking arm and pointed to his house which was only a grueling few feet away.

"So you're going to break her heart?" Poor Kaede felt the grip on his shoulder tighten. At this rate, the only thing that would be broken was him. He had to give in.

"No, no, no o-of course not Kakashi-sama! I was going home to um, to get dressed Kakashi-sama…I can't see h-her like this Kakashi-sama." _"Please don't hurt me Kakashi-sama!"_ To his relief, the grip on his shoulder was released. He turned around to face the white-haired elder.

"Good boy."

Kaede gave a nervous bow and rushed towards his apartment complex. _"This day couldn't get any worse!"_

Kakashi watched the man flee into his apartment and shut the door; pleased with his ability to scare him.

"Oi!"

Ironically it was his turn to submit as he heard his wife, Anko, calling out to him.

"Stop scaring that poor man scarecrow! I want grand children dammit!"

"Yes Anko-_sama_…"

"What!?"

**xXxXxXx**

The sun was setting now behind the faces of the Hokage mountain, casting warm amber rays across the quiet town. Kaede was better dressed now; out of his jounin outfit and in a simple white button-up shirt and black pants. He was standing sadly outside of Nori's apartment, looking at the door.

"_Here… I go,"_

He raised his free hand to knock on the door, but he froze as it opened suddenly. Nori stood there with a slight blush over her face, looking up at Kaede surprised. Her hair was slightly wet; probably just came out of the shower. She was wearing short-shorts and a loose t-shirt.

"Kaede…," Her eyes travelled to the flowers and the chocolate in his hands and she blushed more. "Kaede how'd you…?"

"W-well…I had a lot of help today...," he said, scratching the back of his head and trying not to let his blush show. After a few seconds of awkward silence, he felt her arms wrap around his waist.

"Thank you Kaede."

"H-heh…no problem Nori. He hugged her with his one free arm, burring his face into her damp hair. It smelled of flowers. Daisies to be exact.

"Awwwwwwwww!" They both turned their attention to Nori's bedroom window, where Inoko, Chojaru, the twins, and Anko were gathered.

"MOM!"

Everyone, including Kaede, giggled and laughed at the scene.

"_Maybe today wasn't that bad after all."_

**xXxXxXx**

Awww how sweet. Poor poor Kaede. There will definitely be more fillers. I had fun writing this one!

New character!

Amai: female, 57, _"sweet"_


End file.
